Ingredients
4-5 spring onions or fresh garlic stems chopped
1 clove of garlic sliced (or use asafoetida)
1 tbsp olive oil
500ml tomato passata or fresh plum tomatoes chopped
3/4 pint of lentils soaked overnight
A cup of quinoa (soaked for 1 hour)
Chilli flakes
Himalayan salt
Pepper
Marmite
Water
4 large carrots
2 courgettes
Fresh spinach (optional)
Watercress (optional)
Broccoli rice (grated broccoli - optional)
Method
Start by gently frying the onions and garlic with the olive oil and as they start softening add the tomato passata, a pint of water, salt, pepper a generous tbsp of marmite and chilli flakes to taste. Don't worry too much about measuring your condiments, as the sauce cooks and thickens, as you taste it, you'll be able to add to it to adjust it to your palate.
Remember that the key to a really tasty sauce is all in the cooking - the longer the better!
As the sauce reaches the boiling point, make sure to keep stirring to prevent it from sticking, but watch any splattering.
After 15 minutes turn the heat down add the lentils and keep stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce doesn't stick.
Whilst your sauce is cooking away, get a pan of water to the boil and add some Himalayan salt to the water. Get your carrot and courgettes cut into spaghetti strings and soak them in cold water.
Keep checking that your sauce isn't reducing down too much or sticking, if needed, you can add some more water.
Once you are getting ready to your dinner time, get your dinner plates ready: spread some fresh spinach leaves and watercress and arrange it as the base of your dish.
Add the soaked quinoa to your sauce and a half a glass of water to allow the moisture needed for the quinoa to cook - it only takes 10-12 minutes to cook.
Next, you can blanch your spaghetti in the boiling water - about 3-4 minutes - you won't want them to cook for too long. Once cooked, drain them and arrange them on the dinner plates on top of your spinach. Make sure to leave a little "crater" at the centre ready for your sauce.
Spoon some of your sauce into your spaghetti then sprinkle on top some broccoli rice or watercress to garnish.